Cast turbine housing with stamped volute

ABSTRACT

A turbine housing includes a housing having a volute section. A volute insert is positioned within an interior portion of the volute section. The surface of the volute insert may be smoother than the interior surface of the volute to reduce turbulence and increase air flow within the volute.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/432,996 entitled “CAST TURBINE HOUSING WITH STAMPED VOLUTE,”filed on Jan. 14, 2011 which is hereby incorporated in its entirety byreference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to turbine housings, and moreparticularly, to a turbine housing having an insert member.

BACKGROUND

As is known in the art, turbochargers are often used with combustionengines to increase the power output of the engine. Turbochargersincrease power by increasing the amount of air used to facilitatecombustion in the engine. Increasing the amount to air provided to thecylinders of the engine allows for a proportional increase in the amountto fuel that may be burned in the engine. This increased fuel amountleads to increased power output.

Turbochargers often utilize the engine's exhaust to spin a turbine,which in turn spins an air pump to compress air. The compressed air ispumped into the cylinders during combustion. The turbine is typicallypositioned within a housing that includes an inlet for the engine'sexhaust. Additionally, a turbine may be positioned on the compressorside to facilitate ambient air compression. The housing has a generallyvolute shape so that gasses channeled into the housing create rotationalflow to spin the turbine located in the housing.

Traditional turbine housings suffer from several deficiencies. Asexplained in further detail below, turbine housings are traditionallycomposed of either cast metal, such as cast iron, or stamped metals,such as stamped stainless steel. Commonly, stamped housings are used inapplications that require greater strength or durability. However, whilestamped housing provide increased strength and durability, they alsosuffer from several drawbacks. For example, in some circumstances it maybe difficult, if not impossible to achieve the desired housingconfiguration through the stamping process. In such cases, it may bedesirable to cast the housing into the desired configuration.

Cast housings, however, also suffer from some drawbacks. For example,the interior surface of a cast housing often has a rough finish. Thisrough surface creates a turbulent flow for exhaust gasses travelingthrough the housing. Further, interior surfaces of cast housings aredifficult if not impossible to finish given the small spaces and voluteshape of the housing.

By contrast, stamped housings are ideal for maximizing the flow ofgasses through the housing. Stamped housings are commonly cold rolled toprovide a smooth interior surface that increases flow resulting inbetter efficiencies and improved miles per gallon ratings for theengine.

Therefore, an improved turbine housing with casting configurability andstamped flow characteristics is needed.

SUMMARY

A turbine housing is generally presented. The turbine housing includes ahousing having a volute section. The volute section may include a voluteinsert positioned with an interior portion of the volute section. Thesurface of the volute insert may be smoother than the interior surfaceof the volute to reduce turbulence and increase air flow within thevolute.

In an embodiment, the turbine housing may be comprised of cast iron. Thevolute insert may be comprised of stamped steel. The turbine housing maybe positioned at the compressor side or the exhaust side of aturbocharger.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Objects and advantages together with the operation of the invention maybe better understood by reference to the detailed description taken inconnection with the following illustrations, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cast housing;

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of a volute; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cast housing having astamped volute.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilizedand structural and functional changes may be made without departing fromthe respective scope of the present invention.

The efficiency of the power generated by a turbocharged engine maydepend on the efficiency in which a turbine housing manages and channelsthe flow of gasses through the turbine housing. FIG. 1 illustrates acast turbine housing 10, such as a cast iron turbine housing. Thehousing 10 may be any appropriate size and shape and may be cast out ofany appropriate metal or material, as is known in the art.

The turbine housing 10 may include a generally volute-shaped portion(“volute”) 12. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the volute 12 may comprise agenerally circular or spiral shaped shell. The volute 12 may be hollowto allow the flow of gasses therethrough. The volute 12 may include anatmospheric inlet or exhaust outlet at an opening 13 of the housing 10and may house a turbine 15 therein. The shape of the volute 12 and theposition of the opening 13 promote rotational flow within the housing 10to spin the turbine 15 positioned generally in the center of the volute12.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the volute 12 may have a generally roundedcross section to surround the hollow opening. The cross section mayinclude a generally flat base portion 14, a side wall 16, and arced topwall 18. It will be appreciated, however, that the volute cross sectionmay have any appropriate configuration.

The turbine housing 10 may include a volute insert 20, as bestillustrated in FIG. 3. The volute insert 20 may be any appropriate sizeand shape, such as generally volute shaped and sized and shapedsimilarly to the volute 12 to be nested within at least a portion of thevolute 12. For example, the volute insert 20 may comprise a generallyflat bottom portion 22 to engage the interior of the base portion 14, anadjacent side wall 24 to engage the interior of the housing side wall16, and an arced top wall 26 to engage the interior of the arced topwall 18 of the volute 12. It will be appreciated, however, that thevolute insert 20 may be any cross sectional shape and may extend withinany portion of the volute 12.

The volute insert 20 may be composed of any appropriate material. Forexample, the volute insert 20 may be comprised of stamped stainlesssteel, such as cold rolled stamped stainless steel. The cold rollingprocess may provide a smooth interior surface of the volute insert 20 toreduce turbulence and increase flow efficiency of gasses through thevolute 12. While the volute insert 20 is described as comprisingstainless steel, it will be appreciated that the insert 20 may compriseany material.

In an embodiment, the interior surface of the volute insert 20 may besmoother than the than the interior surface of the volute 12. Forexample, the housing 10 may be comprised of cast iron and the voluteinsert 20 may be comprised of stamped steel. The surface of the stampedsteel volute insert 20 may be smoother than the interior surface of thevolute 12. By providing a smoother interior surface, the volute insert20 may reduce turbulence and increase flow within the housing 10.

The volute insert 20 may be configured to cover a specific portion ofthe interior surface of the housing volute 12. For example, the voluteinsert 20 may cover between 95% and 100% of the housing volute 12interior. In an embodiment, the volute insert 20 may cover between 90%and 100% of the volute 12 interior. In another embodiment, the voluteinsert may cover between 80% and 90% of the volute 12 interior. It willbe appreciate, however, that the volute insert may cover any specifiedportion of the interior surface of the volute 12.

The turbine housing 10 having a volute insert 20 may be manufacturedusing any methods known in the art. For example, the cast housing 12 maybe cast to surround the volute insert 20. Alternatively, the voluteinsert 20 may be inserted into the volute 12 or a portion of the volute12 after the volute is cast.

It will be appreciated that the turbine housing 10 as described hereinmay be located at either the compressor or exhaust side of aturbocharger. For example, a turbocharger may include a first turbineand turbine housing at the compressor side and a second turbine andturbine housing at the exhaust side. The turbine housing 10, voluteinsert 20 and other features described herein may be applied to theturbine housing at either the exhaust or compressor side of theturbocharger.

The invention has been described above and, obviously, modifications andalternations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding ofthis specification. The claims as follows are intended to include allmodifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope ofthe claims or the equivalent thereof.

1. A turbine housing comprising: a housing including a volute section; avolute insert positioned within an interior portion of said volutesection; and wherein the surface of said volute insert is smoother thanthe interior surface of said volute section.
 2. The turbine housing ofclaim 1, wherein said housing is a cast housing.
 3. The turbine housingof claim 2, wherein said cast housing is comprised of cast iron.
 4. Theturbine housing of claim 1, wherein said volute insert is stamped. 5.The turbine housing of claim 4, wherein said volute insert is comprisedof stamped steel.
 6. The turbine housing of claim 1 further comprising aturbine positioned within the housing.
 7. The turbine housing of claim1, wherein said housing is positioned on an exhaust side of aturbocharger.
 8. The turbine housing of claim 1, wherein said housing ispositioned on a compressor side of a turbocharger.
 9. The turbinehousing of claim 1, wherein the volute insert covers between 90% and100% of the interior surface of the volute section.
 10. The turbinehousing of claim 1, wherein the volute insert covers between 80% and 90%of the interior surface of the volute section.
 11. The turbine housingof claim 1, wherein the volute section is generally spiral shaped.